Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Bears favored? It will Rain in California first!

I’m thinking it’s aliens that
are messing with us.

It was once gospel that
there’d be rain in California before the Bears would be favored to beat the Texas
Longhorns.Oops!Put the top up on the jeep, Goobs.It’s actually raining outside—and egads
forsooth, the Bears are favored by 7—on the road, no less.

If Donald Trump sports a buzz
cut in the debate tonight, you’ll understand that weirdness is the new
normal.Macbeth said, “Nothing is but
what is not,”and now we have “nothing
that could ever happen—has.”

Who, during our 1 and 11
season ever dreamed the Bears would be favored over the pride of the Big 12? Not Mac Brown. Of
course, most of the prognosticators figured Bill would be indicted before
Hillary, so it shows what experts know.

Of course, both could be just
flukes.This rain may be all we see this
season, and the Bears first two victories may be all they get.

But there’s reason to
believe, in both cases, that there may be some substance behind the appearances.

OK.It’s not often that the game ball after the
opener against Grambling State was given to the schedule maker.Pac 12 Commissioner, Larry Scott, loves
Friday night games (we don’t) so why he didn’t schedule our game against a high
school on Friday night is beyond me.

I’m not a fan of having
schools with 85 scholarships play ones limited to 66.But we grew up under Ray Willsey who was
ashamed to play San Jose State because they played in a weaker conference.He felt athletes wanted to prove themselves
only against the big boys.Check out
those schedules in the 60’s vs. who USC, and Cal played on opening day.

But I digress.

We played well—both
Saturdays.There were few penalties and
we looked disciplined.The special teams
need work, but the D. stepped up—big time--albeit against inferior
completion.However, in years past
inferior competition scored superior
points, so we should be encouraged.

(Not sure I’m comfortable
with the starting QB being in the game when we are up by 51 points, but times
have changed, I guess—and we Luddites have to learn to change with them). Mr. Goff may be the best QB in the land.

With that exception (as a
parent of a former Notre Dame QB who didn’t start) it was great to see just how
many kids the coaches got into the game.It appeared they did a terrific job of emptying the bench—which will
only make the team better.As Coach
George Davis used to say, “It’s the third team halfback that will cost you the
championship.”—i.e. you are only as strong as your weakest link.

For two years we’ve proved we
can pass and we can catch.For two weeks
we’ve proved that we can block and we can tackle.Now, can we do it on the big stage?

The South is daunting
(106,000 screaming fans completely intimidated a good Bears team in
Tennessee)—and incredibly friendly.(Remember when we went to Tennessee and the locals invited us on to
their boats, and when the Goobs didn’t want a beer, (an ex-Tennessee
Cheerleader around our age said, “I know just what you need.It’s Vodka, pink lemonade and Sprite.We call it a Pink Panty Pull-down.)Sold.And make it a double.I love the
South.

The mass of warm water off
the coast is called “The Blob.” It’s
what gives us hope for a huge El Nino. The “Goff” is what gives us hope for a
huge win on Saturday.One brings the
promise of more rain.The other the
promise of more wins.

Playing on the road is a
daunting task.Whether we can keep our
cool down there, especially on 6th street under such pressure is an
open question.Same goes for the
team.Playing (different from our kind
of playing) in front of 100,000 fans and a national TV audience will be a
difficult test for these young boys.

But there will be more than a
few of us loyal Golden Bears down there to root them on (Andy Rogers is hosting
a B.Y.O.B “Southern M.O.A.T) Mother of all Tailgates), and quite a golden Bear
contingent is expected to show up and show the colors.

Unlike the Grambling game, playing on the big stage is what most college athletes yearn for. Our kids going up against the wealthiest athletic department in the country. They have the best team and the best facilities money can buy.

Hope they prove that pride and character count more than dollars and cents.

Well stated, Jeff! RG & I would definitely be there if we weren't leaving for Morocco tomorrow - RG is not happy with the timing! You and Cindy have to cheer extra hard and loud for us! Go Bears! Charlottwe

About Me

I write a Weekly Column for the St. Helena Star and have a Weekly Radio Show on KVON 1440am (KVON.com) on Wednesday's at 5pm. My Columns are about daily small town life in rural St. Helena. I'm old school and often write about the "old Days." I'm a Capitalist an believe in individual liberty and the rugged individualist. I also do a weekly blog on my trips to the Cal Bears Football games--but you gotta luv the Bears to like it. Having no marketable skills I sell dirt (vineyards wineries, ranches and estates), having formerly been a Creative Director and Copy Writer in New York and S.F.